DES MOINES — Hillary Clinton, facing criticism from rivals for her silence on a stalled international trade agreement, spoke out Sunday during a campaign stop in Iowa, urging President Barack Obama to collaborate with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and craft a deal more palatable to Democrats.
“The president should listen to and work with his allies in Congress starting with Nancy Pelosi, who have expressed their concerns about the impact that a weak agreement would have on our workers to make sure we get the best strongest deal possible,” she said. “And if we don’t get it, there should be no deal.”
It wasn’t quite a judgment of the trade deal overall, but it was her most specific assessment of the policy debate so far, and it came on the heels of an embarrassing defeat for the White House, which saw Democrats largely abandon its push for the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Clinton said a final deal must protect American jobs, raise American workers’ wages and protect American national security interests
“The president actually has this amazing opportunity now,” the Democratic presidential candidate said. “Let’s take the lemons and turn it into lemonade.”
